Some of the veterans I have met.

Discussion in 'The Lounge Bar' started by CM3, Feb 18, 2013.

  1. CM3

    CM3 Junior Member

    During the last 35 years as I have travelled around the country, I have met many of the men whose battles they fought in I had only read about in books and saw movies of. Starting with my father who served in the Pacific in places like New Guniea, the Phillippines, the island of Gamadodo and finishing up the war in Tietsin, China as part of the occupation force sent there at wars end.

    I once met a seaman whos was aboard a DE (Destroyer Escort) that was sunk during the incident with Taffey 3 (Battle of Leyte Gulf 1944), and heard him describe how he was severely wounded and woke up floating around in the water.

    I talked with a man who was a young ensign aboard the Missouri and had a birds eye view of the surrender in 1945. I also spoke with men who had been Marines at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

    Likewise I have also talked with men who fought in Europe. Guys who flew in the bombers and fought in horrendous fights like the Battle of the Bulge.

    I once talked to a man who was the Captain of a graves registration team whose job it was to identify and bury the many fallen heroes of our nation.

    All this has been quite an eye opening experience for me and it was great to get to know these men if only for a brief period of time.
     
  2. cbiwv

    cbiwv Junior Member

    I've been fortunate to meet quite a few myself. Last month I met a veteran of the German army who has lived in Martinsburg for many years. He told me both his American and German names. What was interesting is he shared with me two former SS soldiers live across the street from him. Alot of them came here after the war. He was a very nice guy who did not sugarcoat anything.
     
  3. 17thDYRCH

    17thDYRCH Senior Member

    I have met many Veterans.
    Some are still alive and some have recently passed away.
    For those that served and gave their youth to such a noble cause and survived the war, there can be no greater sorrow than to see cherished friends die on the battlefield.
     
  4. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    I have met many Veterans.
    Some are still alive and some have recently passed away.
    For those that served and gave their youth to such a noble cause and survived the war, there can be no greater sorrow than to see cherished friends die on the battlefield.


    Can't agree with that sweeping statement. The human condition being what it is, there are no set limits to the lows - and highs - in life. How could the loss of a child for instance be any less sorrowful ...

    I think we've all met veterans, likely the majority were anonymously so.
     
  5. CM3

    CM3 Junior Member

    I've been fortunate to meet quite a few myself. Last month I met a veteran of the German army who has lived in Martinsburg for many years. He told me both his American and German names. What was interesting is he shared with me two former SS soldiers live across the street from him. Alot of them came here after the war. He was a very nice guy who did not sugarcoat anything.

    I remember my Dad telling me that at his work there were former german soldiers and former american soldiers who had fought each other at the Battle of the Bulge. In fact, my girfriend in high school,both of her parents were from Germany with her father having served in the Wehrmacht.

    Never talked to him about it back then, but I sure would ask him some questions now.
     
  6. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Included in the list of veterans that I have met over the years was Churchill & Montgomery.

    I am also reminded of the impressive list of Reviewing Officers at the Annual Ajex Remembrance ceremony.

    Ron
     

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  7. MI9

    MI9 Member

    Meet many every year on ANZAC DAY & REMEBRANCE DAY. Proud of all who served for freedom and Liberty! Thank our Veteran's everday one being my own father.
     
  8. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

    When I was a kid, I met veterans all the time. There were plenty of them around, and they were no more than middle-aged then. Nobody made a big deal over them, the war was still pretty recent news. I was already interested in the war, but these guys didn't talk about it and I was too bashful to ask. I remember meeting one though, a very nice guy in the New York TV business named Nick Sgarro. He told me that you could always tell whether a Sherman tank had a British crew or an American crew inside because the British Shermans all had tea kettles hanging on the outside.

    In the course of my research I met three veterans: Tony Richardson (ex 147th (Essex Yeo) Field Regt), Gordon Craik (ex 7th Australian Div AASC, AIF), and William Robertson (ex AIF and 50th Div GSO (1)). All were fine gentlemen, very giving of their time and memories.

    Through my good friend Natalie I met her father Warwick, a veteran of 41 RM Commando and the Malta garrison. He was quite a character, a mixture of Andy Capp and Captain Jack Sparrow. (He could tell immediately when a glass of beer had been watered.) He took a liking to me, and even let me march with him and his family and mates on Remembrance Sunday. Later on I was able to return the favor by getting him some photos of the bar he had drinks in when he arrived in New York as a 16 year-old cabin boy before the war.
     
  9. CM3

    CM3 Junior Member

    Here's a few pics of some veterans I took when I attended the dedication the WW2 Memorial in Washingtion DC about 8 or 9 years ago. Amongst them are a Marine Navajo Code talker, two Niesei veterans of the 442nd Regiment, the Marine in the wheelchair fought on Okinawa, and a 101st Airborne veteran.
     

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